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Fights are the feature in Phantoms’ USHL victory
By Tom Williams
Youngstown
The Youngstown Phantoms saved one of their best penalty-killing moments for season’s end, scoring two shorthanded goals in less than a minute against one of the USHL’s top teams.
But the only thing anyone really will remember from Friday’s 4-1 Phantoms’ victory over the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders at the Covelli Centre is the three fights at the end of the second period, including Phantoms goalie Matt Mahalak taking on Roughriders netminder Cody Campbell at center ice.
“We’ve known each other a couple of years now,” said Mahalak, who was credited with the victory despite being ejected. “Sticks were up in my face and he was getting the same thing.”
Cedar Rapids’ Jordan DiGando triggered the brawls when he knocked Phantoms forward Cody Strang into the boards as the second period expired.
While Andrew Lamont and Nick Lappin scuffled near the goal, the goalies skated to center ice for the main event.
Phantoms captain David Donnellan said Stephen Collins challenged him right after the buzzer sounded and their gloves flew off. Then they paused to watch Mahalak and Campbell dance around and throw punches while wearing 40 pounds of equipment,
Asked what he felt as he skated to center, Malahak said, “I was just full of adrenaline. He looked nervous and I felt confident so I just [moved in] and got a quick start.
“I couldn’t really shake his hold but I got him down on the ice,” said Mahalak (9-17-3). “It was a really fun game.”
As the goalies were escorted off the ice, Donnellan and Collins exchanged blows as did Lamont and Lappin.
The Phantoms were awarded a five-minute power play for DiGiando’s initial hit. All seven penalized players were ejected.
Phantoms coach Curtis Carr said the seven will be suspended for tonight’s regular-season finale and anyone getting a multigame suspension would serve it in the playoffs (RoughRiders) or next season (Phantoms).
By the way, the Phantoms (20-35-4, 44 points, seventh place in the East Division) won their second consecutive game for the first time since Dec. 4-5. The RoughRiders (37-19-3, 77 points) have the second seed in the East Division for next week’s playoffs.
Adam Berkle scored twice, including one of the shorthanded goals. Defenseman Scott Mayfield scored a goal and set up two others.
“Both have certainly developed throughout the year,” Carr said. “They are going to be very big pieces to our puzzle next year. They’ve been playing great.”
Early in the second period, Berkle gave the Phantoms a 2-1 lead when he carried the puck out from behind the net and snapped it past Campbell. Defenseman Ben Paulides assisted on Berkle’s 16th goal.
About two minutes later with Phantoms defenseman Andrej Sustr serving two minutes for holding, Berkle celebrated his 17th tally when he pounced on a rebound off Campbell’s pads for a shorthanded goal. Mayfield carried the puck into the RoughRiders’ zone and took the initial shot at Campbell.
While Sustr continued to chill in the penalty box, Paulides scored the Phantoms’ second shorthanded tally in 48 seconds on an assist by Mayfield.
“The whole team has been playing well lately,” Berkle said. “It just feels good.”
Carr said he was pleased to see his penalty killers capitalize.
“We’ve been talking about pressuring and it’s worked out for us the past two games,” Carr said. “The guys who have been killing [penalties] have been doing a good job. They’re allowed to make reads and jumps when they can.”